Fish Curry

 

MARINATE

Ingredients

For the fish & marinade:

• 400g skinless firm white fish (cod, sea bass, hake etc)
• 200g Fresh prawns, deveined, shells removed
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

For the Curry Base:

• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves
• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely minced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, slit lengthwise
• 1 large red onion, roughly diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder (adjust for heat preference)
• 250ml water or diluted coconut milk
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• ½ lemon

For the rice:

• ¾ cup rice
• ¾ cup water

Instructions

Lightly season the fish with a pinch of salt, before combining it with the marinade ingredients.

Set aside for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the curry base.

Grate the ginger and garlic, roughly dice the onion and quarter the tomatoes. Set the instant pot to saute on medium heat.

Once hot, add the coconut oil and curry leaves and let them sizzle briefly to release their aroma. Add the minced ginger, garlic, and slit green chilies, stirring occasionally, and cook until the garlic starts to turn soft and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring often, until they soften but do not brown, approximately 3 minutes. The goal is to make them translucent and tender (turn the heat down if they start to brown). Then, stir in the tomato wedges and cook for another 3-4 minutes until they soften and release their juices.

Sprinkle in the turmeric powder and chili powder. Stir the spices through the onion-tomato mixture for about 30 seconds, allowing the flavours to develop.

Add 1 cup of water to the pan and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Place a long-legged trivet into the pot, and place a suitably sized bowl on top (allow space for closing the lid, and ensure space around the sides of the bowl).

Add the rice to the bowl along with water and a pinch of salt. Ensure the rice is submerged, then secure the lids, cancel sauté, select pressure cook, set the time to 3 minutes and close the lid.

Once the pressure cooking cycle comes to an end allow the rice to rest in the pot and the pressure to naturally release for 6 minutes.

Release the pressure and open the Instant Pot. Remove the bowl with the rice, fluff with a fork and set aside.

Gently slide the fish steaks and prawns into the pan, submerging them in the sauce. Simmer the fish on low for 2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets, turning them once if needed.

Pour in the fresh coconut milk, stirring gently to combine. Let the curry come to a simmer on low heat to ensure the coconut milk doesn’t boil (to avoid curdling).

Stir in the lime juice to balance the richness of the coconut milk. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt as needed. Turn off the heat, then allow the curry to rest off the heat for 10-15 minutes for the flavours to meld.

Check the fish is cooked through. Serve the fish curry hot alongside steamed basmati rice for an authentic Kerala-style meal.

Source: Instant Pot